


Pygmalion

by takakoyaki



Category: VIXX
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-24
Updated: 2014-12-24
Packaged: 2018-03-03 08:53:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2845223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/takakoyaki/pseuds/takakoyaki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Art student and flower shop two-for-one AU where Wonshik lets his friend Jaehwan drag him to a figure drawing class and Hongbin happens to be a model in said class who's been going to a musician named Ravi for online advice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pygmalion

There’s something to be said about being paid to lie around and look pretty for a couple hours at a time, thinks Hongbin as he lies on a plush chaise longue for the latest session of the university art class he was modeling for. To be exact he gets paid twice as much as his other job, even if it’s only a few hours a week. Plus, there’s that _really_ hot professor named Park Hyoshin he’s had his eye on, right there teaching the class.

Some classic rock music plays in the background (maybe he can request John Legend, next time?) as the cluster of students surround him and the other models, sketching, observing, in general looking like typical pensive art students.

Aside from avoiding the issue of potential student-professor relations in pursuit of Hyoshin, Hongbin is kind of glad he’s not going here for photography like he once thought he might. Art students these days tried so hard to be different that most of them ended up looking the same, though he couldn’t fault them for trying. Anyway, he’s used to it by now.

At least this time, one of them seems sort of interesting. He wears a different snapback every time Hongbin sees him, anyway.

Hongbin’s thought a couple times about trying to strike up a conversation with him, but judging by the way he always disappears as soon as class is over, he probably won’t get to before the semester’s out.

It’s a little disappointing. He could really use his fashion advice, after all.

\--

Wonshik is, to put it lightly, screwed.

He’s only known as Ravi to a friend of his named Hongbin (before recently, he hadn’t been sure this was his real name), whom he’d met unofficially through an online music forum a couple of months ago, and they hit it off quickly after discovering how much they had in common. Since then they’ve been messaging each other on KakaoTalk, but haven’t seen each other’s faces.

He thought there was plenty of time to see if they could exchange numbers, maybe arrange to hang out in person, but then Wonshik started the semester by walking into an art class with a really, _really_ , hot model, but before he could message Hongbin about it, he read a Kakao message along the lines of:

 _[Ravi!!! You won’t BELIEVE the hot professor in this art class I’m modeling for. Hyoshin is def the name of my future husband]_ (accompanied by several lovestruck emojis Wonshik has never seen Hongbin use, or anyone else really)

The good news: Hongbin is also interested in men at least some of the time.

The bad news: he’s interested in someone who’s not Wonshik, right where Wonshik can see him.

Altogether it hits Wonshik harder than he realized it would, and he doesn’t know how to deal with it, let alone introduce himself, yet he doesn’t drop the class. Even though he can barely manage to hold his pencil steady whenever he looks up at Hongbin.

He’s really, really, _really_ screwed.

\--

Jaehwan likes to think he is a pretty good best friend. He had only meant well when he invited Wonshik to take an introductory figure drawing class with him.

He himself is more of an abstract art kind of guy, and Wonshik is going into music composition, but hey, it fit into both of their schedules, had open seats, _and_ it counts as a required foundation class towards their overall credits, which qualifies the whole situation as a downright miracle by usual university standards.

So perfect, really, except for one thing.

Okay, two things.

First, Jaehwan hadn’t thought about how Wonshik and his penchant for oversized Supreme tees and basketball shoes might possibly stick out like a sore thumb amongst a sea of tight v-neck shirts and loafers with no socks.  The students who stared at Wonshik made zero difference; not only did Wonshik refuse to stop wearing snapbacks, he also refused to wear them properly.

Second, and more pressing, he’s pretty sure Wonshik maybe has a crush on one of the models they ended up with.

“Just go talk to him,” Jaehwan says as encouragingly as possible when class is out one day, and the models are standing around chatting with the professor and a few students who stayed behind.

Wonshik gives a nervous laugh. “I could, but… I dunno, what’d we even talk about?”

“Be yourself, just be cool, blah blah.” Jaehwan grins cheesily, elbows him a little. “It was his turn to request the songs we listened to in class today, why don’t you do all your music-y stuff at him?”

“I don’t think you get it,” Wonshik says, swallows. “I can do music, but… it’s complicated.”

“What’s complicated? Tell him you can do a looot more than music!” Jaehwan suggests with a wink and suggestive hand motion. Wonshik, being the ungrateful best friend that he is, only groans loudly in response.

\--

Despite knowing better, Wonshik continues to avoid talking to Hongbin in person.

It’s much easier for him to chat as Ravi and Hongbin, especially since Hongbin is always impressed by Ravi’s composition projects, and even though they’re the same age, Hongbin tends to rely on him for advice. He finds out that Hongbin likes to dance but doesn’t think he’s very good at it, that he has two older sisters, that he likes older women in addition to older men, and that he isn’t just interested in modeling, he’s also thinking about acting.

_[I’ve thought about going to some auditions, but I already have two jobs and my parents want me to look for something better? Acting’s not “better” though]_

Wonshik hums, tries to think of something appropriate to say.

_[Working is one thing, but if you love acting, you should go for it. Or even if you don’t love it. You don’t have anything to lose? Just try it]_

He thinks “just try it” is really great advice, even if he doesn’t follow it himself in the slightest.

Later, he goes to class as Wonshik and Hongbin doesn’t know who he is, but Wonshik sees him smile in person, sees him laugh, and no matter how many times that perfect dimple of Hongbin’s appears, Wonshik can’t get used to the funny little twinge in his chest when he sees it.

But Hongbin only shows his best smiles, the ones where the entire room lights up and those incredible dimples are out in full force, when he’s talking to Hyoshin.

Wonshik can’t really blame him though—Hyoshin is good-looking, pretty young for a professor, and he’s a really great artist. Plus, Hongbin’s not a student, so he _could_ date Hyoshin if he wanted to. If Hyoshin noticed him, anyway, and it’s still a complete mystery to Wonshik that he doesn’t.

It’s even more of a mystery to Wonshik that Hongbin doesn’t seem to know particularly how appealing he is. Hongbin seems to be aware of his own physical attractiveness, obviously, but there’s something—something in the way his eyes always flash shyly downwards when he talks to people, how he fidgets anxiously and offers to sweep the classroom, back turned from the chatting students when he’s not in the middle of posing, that makes Wonshik want to tell him that he’s right here, that he knows just how amazing Hongbin is.

But it’s Hyoshin Hongbin wants to hear those words from, so he won’t.  The best he can do is send as much encouragement and support as he can, as Ravi, and hope it can tide both of them over.

“’Take a figure drawing class with me,’ he said,” Wonshik mutters under his breath as he watches Hongbin make doe eyes at Hyoshin for the billionth time from the other side of the classroom. “It’ll be fun, he said.”

Jaehwan only sticks his puffy lower lip out in mock hurt.

“Come on, I’ll _die_ if I don’t have someone to whisper to when I’m not supposed to!” he whines, clinging to Wonshik’s arm and going into pretend hysterics. “Three straight hours of ninety percent silence? No thanks.”

“You’re lucky I owe you,” says Wonshik, but he smiles all the same when Jaehwan grins appreciatively at him.

“You’ll owe me more if you take my sage advice and just go talk to our model friend over there,” Jaehwan elbows him, winking excessively, and Wonshik goes from smiling to wanting to knock Jaehwan off his chair.

“I already said I wasn’t gonna,” he insists. “He’s really obviously into our professor, anyway.”

“Hyoshin? Isn’t he like a billion years old and married or something?” Jaehwan makes a face. “Besides, you’re way cooler. You’ve made your own mixtape!”

“It sounds uncool when you say it,” Wonshik informs him. “Anyway, it just isn’t going to work. Just trust me this time.”

“Sounds like you’re really determined to never actually have what you want,” Jaehwan says a little too astutely, causing Wonshik to sigh and go back to work his unfinished picture. But Hongbin is there too, hiding behind the half-hearted lines on the canvas, and no matter how hard Wonshik tries to capture him, he won’t come out.

\--

On the last day of the semester, Hyoshin asks Hongbin to get coffee with him. Hongbin thinks he might be dreaming as he follows the professor to a nearby on-campus café.

“I’m really glad we could chat like this,” Hyoshin says, and Hongbin feels almost faint.

“Really…?” he asks, more dreamily than intended, but it can’t be helped.

“Yes,” Hyoshin says cheerfully. “Ever since I mentioned you to my fiancée, she won’t stop pestering me to give you her card.”

It’s like the entire world has gone still.

“Your fiancée…?”

Hongbin nearly chokes on his coffee, but Hyoshin doesn’t seem to notice. He’s too busy smiling.

“She works for a casting agency. You know Glorious Day—that drama that’s being filmed? They’re looking for boys your age. Student-age types.”

He gestures enthusiastically. “They’re doing another round of auditions closer to the holidays and I think you’d be great for it! You’re an excellent model after all.”

Hyoshin continues to beam as he hands Hongbin the business card.

He’s really proud of her, Hongbin thinks, and feels stupid and heartbroken yet somehow relieved all at once. He barely even processes his own movements as he sticks the card in his pocket and manages a forced smile.

“I’ll think about it. Thank you so much,” he says, and the fake, plastered-on smile sticks like gum on his shoe until Hyoshin pays for their coffee and bids Hongbin farewell.

Hongbin goes straight back to his apartment, throws himself on the couch without even taking off his shoes despite his internal cringing at the dirt he’s tracked on the floor. The business card is still in his pocket; he takes it out and stares at the information scrawled on the back in Hyoshin’s elegant handwriting.

Ravi’s message of encouragement flashes briefly in Hongbin’s mind. “Just try,” he had said, and Hongbin had almost fallen for it.

“Well, I fooled Hyoshin into thinking I was happy to get this card,” he says out loud to himself, laughing hoarsely.

He thinks the notion will leave him by morning, silly as it is. Yet it isn’t gone when he wakes up, but still there, nagging at him. Hongbin scrolls through his message history with Ravi, then makes a mental note to himself about who exactly to blame for when his bad ideas inevitably produce bad results.

\--

The last day of class comes and goes, and Wonshik still doesn’t say anything to Hongbin.

He’s disappointed in himself, because really, he’s not even a shy person. But the thought of interacting with Hongbin as Wonshik and not Ravi became somehow impossible the more the semester progressed, and now he might never get another chance.

He wasn’t sure how long he’d stayed alone in his studio, throwing himself into his latest composition on this particular weekend, but when he finally checked his phone he was assaulted immediately with numerous messages from Jaehwan.

_[OMG!!! O M F G WONSHIK!!!]_

_[lee hongbin works at that little flower shop by campus the one with the big sunflower sign]_

_[def saw him sweeping outside omw to lecture u need to go!!!!]_

The messages are accompanied by a lot of dancing emojis and sparkling hearts which accurately conveyed the importance of this news. Wonshik knows exactly which store Jaehwan was referring to; it wouldn’t be hard at all to stop by and see if Hongbin was there. To talk with him one-on-one, pretend like he’d just stopped by to buy flowers. His chest tightens with anticipation as he texts Jaehwan back.

_[ok I’ll check. Thanks for the tip Jaehwanie you’re the best ;) ]_

Wonshik is absolutely sure that either Jaehwan is elaborately pranking him or it’s a sign from whatever cruel gods keep throwing strange coincidences at him, but either way he figures he isn’t quite ready to let Lee Hongbin slip through his fingers completely.

\--

Wonshik isn’t sure what to expect when he pushes open the door of the florist, but he’s not sure why he’s surprised to see Hongbin through the glass windows wearing a cute plaid apron, meticulously sweeping the already spotless floor. He’s started to carefully line up rows of flowerpots on a shelf when Wonshik finally enters the shop, and Wonshik is pretty sure he’s had a dream like this before.

“Oh!” Hongbin exclaims when he turns to look, recognizing Wonshik immediately. “You’re—“

“It’s Wonshik,” he says quickly, smiling and feigning ignorance. Lying comes easier than it normally does, but then again the alternative is certain death. “You’re the model, right?”

“Yeah. I’m Hongbin,” Hongbin says, smiling in a secretive little way that makes Wonshik wonder for a moment if Hongbin knows, even though he couldn’t possibly. Right?

They chat a little as Wonshik pretends to think really hard about the flowers he’s buying, but in reality he just kind of wanders around before picking something at random, using whatever time he can to soak up Hongbin’s presence. He only snaps back to reality when Hongbin is right across from him at the counter, ringing him up.

“Are these for someone special?” Hongbin asks. Maybe it’s his imagination, but it doesn’t really come off as small talk to Wonshik; he sounds genuinely curious.

Wonshik smiles and shakes his head, trying his best not to read too much into the question. “Nah, I don’t have anyone like that. My baby sister is graduating high school soon.”

“But you’re buying two bouquets…?”

“One is for my mom,” Wonshik confesses. “I haven’t seen her much since the holidays.”

“That’s really sweet of you. I’m sure she’ll love it,” Hongbin says. “Er, they both will.”

“Thanks. For helping me pick them out and everything too,” Wonshik tries his best to smile naturally. “I’ll, uh… see you around then? I might… need some more flowers soon.”

“Yeah,” Hongbin nods, returning the smile. “See you.”

Wonshik hurries out of the florist a little faster than absolutely necessary, and if he pumps his fist in the air a couple times as soon as the door closes behind him, well, who can blame him really?

\--

It’s been scarcely a few moments since Wonshik left the shop that Hongbin hears an annoyingly familiar song ( _bum ba bum ba bum_ ) being hummed by an equally annoying person emerging from behind a nearby shelf of succulents.

“What do you want, Sanghyuk?” Hongbin crumples up a wad of receipt paper, ready to fire at his coworker’s forehead if he must.

 So _that’s_ the guy from your art class?” Sanghyuk says, smirking the smuggest Sanghyuk smirk Hongbin’s seen in ages (which is saying something). “He’s good looking AND he buys flowers for his mom. He sounds almost as fake as Ravi.”

“He’s not fake. It’s the first time we’ve talked at all,” Hongbin snaps, though upon reflection… for some reason, it doesn’t quite feel like the first time at all.

“Mm hmmm.”

Sanghyuk just smirks more, like he knows something Hongbin doesn’t know, and Hongbin feels vaguely annoyed because what does Sanghyuk know?

Well, he knows about Ravi (he’s looked over Hongbin’s shoulder on the work computer or his phone way too many times), but that… shouldn’t have anything to do with anything. Why’d he even bring Ravi up?

Before Hongbin can continue that train of thought, an old lady with a huge order busts through the door, and neither Sanghyuk nor Hongbin hear the end of it until every thought besides orchid arrangements is scrubbed from their minds.

\--

Hongbin notices that Wonshik visits the flower shop more after that day, but they never talk about much—Wonshik says he’s starting a garden, but Sanghyuk is the one who’s better at taking care of plants. Hongbin wants to talk to Wonshik too, and Wonshik always makes it a point to at least say hi, but in the end, Hongbin’s not the guy who grows plants—he just sells them.  

“What do you think of this one, Hongbin?” Wonshik asks him anyway, holding up a pot of African violets. It’s about the third time in the past week he’s shown up to the florist, and even Hongbin suspects something’s up.

In the end, Hongbin’s not entirely sure if Wonshik is coming to see him, or Sanghyuk, or maybe he really does just come to buy plants, so he humors him as best he can.

“It’s really nice. The two-colored flowers are my favorite,” Hongbin says with a smile.

“I’ll take it then,” Wonshik says immediately, and even then, Hongbin doesn’t let himself read into it too much.

He tells himself it’s because he doesn’t have time. The shop has been a little busier with the holidays approaching. He doesn’t even have as much time or energy to message Ravi as often, but Ravi sends him something along the lines of he’s also busy with a new composition project of his own, so Hongbin doesn’t dwell on it.

The next several days pass by even faster, mainly a cycle of Hongbin working, cleaning, and sleeping, and soon the next round of auditions for _Glorious Day_ are upon him.

 _[The audition is soon,]_ Hongbin messages Ravi, because he doesn’t know who else to mention it to.

_[It’s for Glorious Day and Hyoshin recommended me especially, so I’ve got a good chance of at least a small part, right?]_

_[Go for it. Just try, remember?]_

The message back is shorter than normal, but it’s enough.

Hongbin messages Ravi later on about something pointless, asks how the work on his composing is going, but there’s no response.

He waits a while, figures he’s probably still just busy, but it’s definitely the first time he hasn’t responded at night.

After the next few days without any response, it starts to sting a little, but at the same time Hongbin figures it was probably only a matter of time.

He’s pondering this, and his upcoming audition, as he’s sweeping the flower shop when a husky voice interrupts his thoughts.

“Hongbin?”

“Oh, Wonshik,” he turns, tries to pretend like he wasn’t surprised even though he just nearly dropped his broom. “Sorry, did you need help with something?”

“No, it’s just… are you feeling okay?” Wonshik asks, his face full of concern. “I kept calling you, but you were spacing out.”

“No, I’m fine.” Hongbin shakes his head quickly and tries to smile. “I’m… just a little stressed before the holidays, I guess.”

“Take care of yourself,” Wonshik says kindly, reaches out and pats Hongbin’s shoulder. Hongbin opens his mouth to thank him for his concern, but the words die in his throat for a reason he can’t quite articulate. It probably has something to do with the fact that it feels Wonshik’s eyes are staring holes through him, though.

Wonshik keeps looking at him for a long moment. Then, under his breath, he quickly mutters something that sounds suspiciously like _sorry_ and leaves before Hongbin can ask what he meant.

\--

The night before the audition Hongbin messages Ravi one last time, saying that he’s going to the audition the next day, and thanks him for everything.

He wonders briefly if things would have been different if he had asked Ravi more about himself. What his real name is, for instance. What he looks like. He feels like he’s missed out on something significant, but he isn’t quite sure what.

He types another message, his finger hovering above the send message button. Then, he glances towards the delete contact button, but in the end, he doesn’t press either one.

Ravi is a good person, and he’s been a good friend, better than Hongbin deserves if he’s being fully honest.  But maybe they were just too different in the end—he part-timed everywhere and didn’t go to school, didn’t have any plans for the future, and he knew Ravi just wasn’t like that. Ravi probably just didn’t have the time anymore to care about Hongbin’s dumb, average guy problems and was just too nice to say so for a while. Hongbin was used to being an average twenty one year old and definitely not some type of creative genius with several major projects as a composer and producer already under his belt. He hadn’t ever put much thought into the future in general, and that had always been fine.

Before he met Ravi, it had all been perfectly fine.

\--

The audition happens so quickly Hongbin scarcely believes it actually occurred.

It snows unexpectedly the day he goes in, so when he arrives red faced and frazzled looking at least everyone else looks more or less the same. He briefly feels that he might be losing his mind as his turn comes up, but he’s surprisingly calm, or at least he probably was. At least one of the casting people seems to like him, so even though it’s not an immediate offer, it’s definitely _something_. Which is way better than nothing, he tells himself stubbornly.

As this thought ends, and he’s about to cross through the parking lot and leave the audition site, Hongbin runs into someone about a head taller than almost everyone else out on the street on any given day. At first he thinks it’s Sanghyuk, but almost immediately he realizes it’s not.

“Wonshik…?”

It’s definitely Wonshik, standing with his hands stuffed in his coat pockets, clearly waiting for Hongbin. But how did he know he would be here, when the only person he told he was going was…?

And then it all fits together.

“R… Ravi,” he stammers, then laughs breathlessly, hits Wonshik in the shoulder. Wonshik— _Ravi_ , all along, just grins at him sheepishly.

“Your friend Sanghyuk responds well to bribes.” Wonshik reaches out and curls his fingers around Hongbin’s wrist, pulls him closer. Hongbin hopes he never finds out how much money Sanghyuk blackmailed out of Wonshik. He also wishes this exchange was occurring somewhere else, but he doesn’t want to pull away either.

“He figured it out right away, I think,” Wonshik continues. “I… was afraid of saying too much more as Ravi before giving it away.”

“I can’t believe you,” Hongbin is still laughing; he can’t help it. He’s really stupid for not figuring it out sooner—for suspecting it from the first day in the flower shop, if he’s being honest, but denying it anyway. Either way, he really can’t believe either one of them. “I can’t believe you didn’t say anything in class in the first place, you idiot.”

“Sorry, I couldn’t think of anything cool to say,” Wonshik offers lamely, but by the way he’s smiling Hongbin doesn’t think he’s all that sorry.

The parking lot that they’re standing in doesn’t exactly have a lot of foot traffic, but Wonshik tugs Hongbin out of view of anyway, behind a conveniently placed advertisement banner hung on a nearby fence. There’s a pause as they both exhale.

“I’m really proud of you for auditioning,” Wonshik says at length, his voice soft and low, and the words bury themselves in the depths of Hongbin’s chest.

“I didn’t even do anything yet.” Hongbin shakes his head. “I promised myself if I passed, I’d… I’d ask you out, but… they just said they’d give me a call back maybe. Nothing guaranteed.”

“Why can’t you just ask me out anyway?” Wonshik’s question is genuine, and he’s looking at Hongbin with his lips pursed.

Hongbin exhales again, tries to let some of his tension go. It doesn’t work too well, no thanks to Wonshik’s hand still holding his wrist. “Because…”

“Because… because of you!” he blurts out, frustrated.

“Me?” Wonshik stares at him.

“When I compare myself to you, I feel like… I feel like I should be doing more,” Hongbin admits. “Because I pined after Hyoshin for such a long time when I could’ve been here with--”

Hongbin doesn’t finish his sentence, because Wonshik’s hand catches his jaw and his eyes close as he leans forward to kiss him, tentative and soft. Hongbin’s heart is pounding so distractingly loudly he can’t even really enjoy it before Wonshik pulls away.

“Wonshik,” he says, pleadingly, before their lips meet again and it’s easier this time, like all the words they didn’t say before are suddenly being exchanged here instead. Wonshik slips his arms around Hongbin and pulls him in closer, holds him tighter, kisses him even slower.

“I’m not as special as you think,” Wonshik tells him, after what seems like forever. “Honestly, I’ve just been stupidly in love with you since day one.”

He’s smiling so hard his eyes are all crinkly, and there are snowflakes dotting his eyebrows, and Hongbin really wants to kiss him again, wants more of Wonshik than he can even bear to say. So he hums to himself and settles for leaning his head on Wonshik’s shoulder instead.

“Is it because I’m pretty?”

“It’s because you’re perfect.”

Wonshik smiles again, his cheeks burning bright with embarrassment and happiness. Hongbin can’t believe how easily something that cheesy comes out of Wonshik’s mouth. Well, reflecting back on all his conversations with Ravi, maybe he actually can.

He kisses Wonshik on the lips, kisses the snowflakes off his cheeks, his eyelashes. It’s like Hongbin’s audition jitters never existed, transforming instead into butterflies in his stomach when Wonshik rubs small, gentle circles on his back.

After a while the cold air catches up with them and they wander off to get coffee, and after that they head back to Wonshik’s apartment, still full of unpotted plants and bags of soil he’d bought from the flower shop under the pretense of starting a garden.  When Hongbin points out they’re all only ones _he_ likes, Wonshik just laughs and kisses him again.

They clear a space on the bed that’s just big enough and lay there, together, for a long, long time. Hongbin doesn’t even comment on how messy the place is; after all, everything finally feels just right the way it is.

**Author's Note:**

> Also on [ LJ](http://tacocatwrites.livejournal.com/1054.html) and [tumblr](http://tacocatfighting.tumblr.com/post/108046490993/vixx-pygmalion). Title is an obvious reference to the artist who fell in love with his artwork. Please, for the love of Rovix, watch vixxtv season 1 if you haven't already.


End file.
